A new tool to facilitate quicker, error-free software design
UOC-led research presents new software model verification technique
2021-01-15
(Press-News.org) Any building project requires the formulation of a series of initial plans prior to starting construction to serve as a basis and guide for the whole process. A similar procedure is followed in software development, with the inclusion of a specific step known as modelling. "The process is equivalent to the production of a set of plans for a building before its construction," explained Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) Faculty of Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications professor and member of the SOM Research Lab research group -from the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3)-, Robert Clarisó.
Engineers use modelling to describe a software system from a specific perspective, such as the data it will use, its components or the way they expect it to function. Going back to the building project example, the plans would be the 'models', which can be used for guidance during the development stage, as well as for carrying out simulations and tests.
According to the researcher, "The model type most frequently used is the UML (Unified Modelling Language) class diagram notation, which is used to describe the structure of a software system." The advantage of working with these models is that they are more abstract than source code, which contains a lot of specific details about the technology being used. In the words of Clarisó, "Models can be more concise, easier to produce and understand."
As such, modelling would serve more as a preliminary step rather than an alternative to source code. The models make it easier to understand the system being developed and can also be used to generate certain implementation elements, automating the most repetitive parts of the programming process.
The role of verification tools
Engineers use verification tools to prevent errors that could affect the code itself and, therefore, the final implementation of the system. Emphasizing the importance of this process, Clarisó said, "We need to ensure the models are correct in order to minimize possible errors in the software that could occur as a result."
As part of a study published in the Journal of Object Technology, Clarisó, along with his colleagues, Carlos A. González (Gran Telescopio Canarias researcher) and Jordi Cabot (ICREA researcher), has come up with a new verification technique for UML/OCL models that solves a common problem. Every time a designer makes a change - such as adding, deleting, or modifying information - to the model it means that the whole system has to be re-analysed, which is the why verification is usually only carried out once a definitive model has been produced at the end of the process.
As Clarisó explained, "Our article outlines the application of incremental methods of verification, that is, we make it easier to verify a model any time changes are made." Rather than only being able to verify the model at the end of the process, as is currently the case, this permits it to be verified during construction, without having to start from scratch, which facilitates the early detection of errors.
An active community, both nationally and globally
This method is also innovative with regard to its use of certificates, the examples that illustrate the correct operation of the model. As the researcher pointed out, "When we modify a model, having a new certificate would remove the need for its verification.
It's far less costly to adapt a certificate than it is to rerun the verification process." Explaining the process, the authors propose that, rather than verifying the new model, a certificate from the original model could be adapted to the new one. The biggest challenge they now face is integrating these techniques into existing software modelling tools and environments.
Commenting on the sector in general, Clarisó, who acted as the coordinator of the Spanish Network of Excellence in Model-driven Software Engineering , stressed that, "the Spanish modelling community is still very active and participates in a variety of national and international research projects".
In fact, although the network is no longer operational, the community still works together and collaborates as part of the annual Software and Database Engineering Conference, which has a space dedicated to Model-driven Software Engineering.
INFORMATION:
This study is part of the "MegaM@Rt2: MegaModelling at Run-time" (2020 ECSEL Joint Undertaking Project, 737494) European project and the "Open Data for All: an API-based infrastructure for exploiting online data sources" (TIN2016- 75944-R) national project funded under the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation's National R&D&I Plan.
This research supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure.
Reference article
Clarisó, R., González, C.A., and Cabot, J. "Incremental Verification of UML/OCL Models". Journal of Object Technology. doi: 10.5381/jot.2020.19.3.a7.
UOC R&I
The UOC's research and innovation (R&I) are helping 21st-century global societies to overcome pressing challenges by studying the interactions between ICT and human activity, with a specific focus on e-learning and e-health. Over 400 researchers and 50 research groups work among the University's seven faculties and two research centres: the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) and the eHealth Center (eHC).
The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and open knowledge serve as strategic pillars for the UOC's teaching, research and innovation. More information:research.uoc.edu. #UOC25years
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2021-01-15
In the last decades, Artificial Intelligence has shown to be very good at achieving exceptional goals in several fields. Chess is one of them: in 1996, for the first time, the computer Deep Blue beat a human player, chess champion Garry Kasparov. A new piece of research shows now that the brain strategy for storing memories may lead to imperfect memories, but in turn, allows it to store more memories, and with less hassle than AI. The new study, carried out by SISSA scientists in collaboration with Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience & Centre for Neural Computation, Trondheim, Norway, has just been published in Physical Review Letters.
Neural networks, real or artificial, learn by tweaking the connections ...
2021-01-15
An innovative new study is set to examine if changing our mealtimes to earlier or later in the day could reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Led by Dr Denise Robertson, Professor Jonathan Johnston and post graduate researcher Shantel Lynch from the University of Surrey, the study, outlined in the journal Nutrition Bulletin, will investigate if changing the time we eat during the day could reduce risk factors such as obesity and cholesterol levels that are typically associated with the development of Type 2 diabetes. The team of researchers will also for the first time investigate, via a series of interviews with participants and their friends and family, the impact of such changes on home life, work/social commitments and whether co-habitants of those who make such ...
2021-01-15
Having genitals of a certain shape and size gives male flies a major reproductive advantage, new research shows.
University of Exeter scientists examined the reproductive success of male Drosophila simulans flies both alone with a female and in various states of competition with other males.
Certain genital shapes were consistently better in terms of number of offspring sired.
However - surprisingly, given how fast genital form evolves - the selection documented was rather weak.
"Male genitals generally, and in Drosophila specifically, evolve very quickly, so we were really surprised to find this weak selection," said Professor David Hosken, of the University of Exeter.
"Selection is the major mechanism of evolution and hence where we see rapid evolution, ...
2021-01-15
Mitochondria are vital for the human body as cellular powerhouses: They possess more than 1,000 different proteins, required for many central metabolic pathways. Disfunction of these lead to severe diseases, especially of the nervous system and the heart. In order to transport proteins and metabolites, mitochondria contain a special group of so-called beta-barrel membrane proteins, which form transport pores in the outer mitochondrial membrane. So far, scientists have not been able to explain the operating mode of the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM) for the biogenesis of these beta-barrel proteins. A team led by Prof. Dr. Toshiya Endo from Kyoto University/Japan, Prof. Dr. Nils Wiedemann and ...
2021-01-15
Guangzhou, January 15, 2021: New journal BIO Integration (BIOI) publishes its fourth issue, volume 1, issue 4. BIOI is a peer-reviewed, open access, international journal, which is dedicated to spreading multidisciplinary views driving the advancement of modern medicine. Aimed at bridging the gap between the laboratory, clinic, and biotechnology industries, it will offer a cross-disciplinary platform devoted to communicating advances in the biomedical research field and offering insights into different areas of life science, in order to encourage cooperation and exchange among scientists, clinical researchers, and health care providers.
The issue contains an original article, three review ...
2021-01-15
A clinical trial involving COVID-19 patients hospitalized at UT Health San Antonio and University Health, among roughly 100 sites globally, found that a combination of the drugs baricitinib and remdesivir reduced time to recovery, according to results published Dec. 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Six researchers from UT Health San Antonio and University Health are coauthors of the publication because of the San Antonio site's sizable patient enrollment in the trial.
The Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial 2 (ACTT-2), which compared the combination therapy versus remdesivir paired with an inactive placebo in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), ...
2021-01-15
Certain snakes have evolved a unique genetic trick to avoid being eaten by venomous snakes, according to University of Queensland research.
Associate Professor Bryan Fry from UQ's Toxin Evolution Lab said the technique worked in a manner similar to the way two sides of a magnet repel each other.
"The target of snake venom neurotoxins is a strongly negatively charged nerve receptor," Dr Fry said.
"This has caused neurotoxins to evolve with positively charged surfaces, thereby guiding them to the neurological target to produce paralysis.
"But some snakes have evolved to replace a negatively charged amino acid on their receptor with a positively charged one, meaning the neurotoxin is repelled.
"It's an inventive genetic mutation and it's been completely missed until now.
"We've ...
2021-01-15
PHILADELPHIA - Our biological or circadian clock synchronizes all our bodily processes to the natural rhythms of light and dark. It's no wonder then that disrupting the clock can wreak havoc on our body. In fact, studies have shown that when circadian rhythms are disturbed through sleep deprivation, jet lag, or shift work, there is an increased incidence of some cancers including prostate cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer death for men in the U.S. With an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic targets for prostate cancer, researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer - ...
2021-01-15
Oxygen levels in the ancient oceans were surprisingly resilient to climate change, new research suggests.
Scientists used geological samples to estimate ocean oxygen during a period of global warming 56 million years ago - and found "limited expansion" of seafloor anoxia (absence of oxygen).
Global warming - both past and present - depletes ocean oxygen, but the new study suggests warming of 5°C in the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) led to anoxia covering no more than 2% of the global seafloor.
However, conditions are different today to the PETM - today's rate of carbon emissions is much faster, and we are adding nutrient pollution to the oceans - both of which could drive more rapid and expansive oxygen loss.
The study was carried out by an international ...
2021-01-15
Champaign, IL, January 15, 2021 - American dairy consumers are often influenced by a variety of factors that can affect their buying habits. These factors include taste, preference, government information, cultural background, social media, and the news. In an article appearing in JDS Communications, researchers found that households that frequently bought food for children are interested in dairy as part of their diet and purchased larger quantities of fluid milk and more fluid milk with a higher fat content.
To assess the purchasing habits of households that purchase food for children versus those ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] A new tool to facilitate quicker, error-free software design
UOC-led research presents new software model verification technique
